We all enter triathlon through different paths. Some of us start as runners. Others, as cyclists. For some, triathlon itself might be their “first sport.” But there’s one thing we all have in common—we’re jealous of swimmers. If you’re anything like me, swimming is the hardest discipline to master. However, entering the sport as a swimmer presents unique challenges that runners and cyclists like me might not experience. To learn more, I enlisted the help and knowledge of Quintana Roo pro and former collegiate swimmer: Miguel Mattox.
Miguel is from Mill Valley, California, and he is one half of the Freestyle Tri YouTube channel duo of Jenna & Miguel. He is currently in his third year as a professional triathlete, but before he discovered triathlon, he was a competitive swimmer with a solid career at Fordham University. He’s the guy we go to when we need swim tips (which is often) and he knows what it’s like to dive headfirst into running and cycling as a swimmer.
“Since I came from a swim background, I like to see other swimmers get into tri,” Miguel explained. “I made this list of tips focused on helping my fellow swimmers!” Below are Miguel’s top four tips for swimmers who want to transition from focusing on one sport to focusing on three.
1. Lean Into New Challenges
“There are plenty of unknowns when it comes to entering triathlon as a swimmer—hidden logistics, new disciplines, and much, much longer races, etc. But you aren’t curious about triathlon just because you can dominate the first third of the race, right? You are literally a fish out of water after that so don’t be afraid to make the most of that unknown experience.
“Think about the years and years of practice it took to achieve your current swimming level. It’s quite laughable when you compare that level of experience to your level in two disciplines that you’ve barely touched. But that’s what makes triathlon an adventure and a challenge! The good news is you already know you can do extraordinary things with your body. It just takes a bit of focus and practice. So lean into those new challenges and make it happen.”
2. Use Your Swimming Advantage Strategically
“Since you’re likely in the 99th percentile of swimmers already, that’s your biggest advantage in a race. But this sport isn’t just about pure speed. In 2020, before my first half-IRONMAN, one of my mentors, an ex-Olympian and swimmer turned triathlete, told me to use the swim as a way to conserve energy. There’s no need to win the swim… it’s a long race, and blowing yourself up to be first out of the water doesn’t get you anything when it comes to your final result.
“If you back off 20%, you’ll come out of the water fresh as a daisy and still be at or near the front of the race. I remember doing a bit of backstroke in that race, and pacing the rest to limit my energy expenditure as much as possible. I came out of the water in 5th, but went on to win that race :). See tip #1… it’s about leaning into new challenges. Not dominating the thing you’re already good at!”
3. Don’t Neglect Your Swim Training
“Here’s something I’m still working on. Because you have so much confidence in your swim, and it’s the shortest leg of a triathlon, it’s easy to put it on the back-burner. But 4 years later, you might regret that decision. Yes, my first two tips might be telling you to put an increased emphasis on biking and running, but you should ALWAYS think about the three disciplines equally in training.
“If you were a competitive swimmer like me, that might mean going from swimming 20+ hours per week to less than 5 (in most cases). So yes, you will get slower in the water, but it’s truly up to you how much you want to hold onto your speed. It all depends on the level of focus you bring to the pool in training.”
4. Running is NOT Like Swimming
“Remember every day when you showed up to the pool and you were a bit nervous of the workout and the exhaustion and challenges it might bring? Most days were hard. Some days were less hard. But there was always a workout involved. If you do that in running, YOU WILL INJURE YOURSELF.
“Every time your foot hits the ground, that leg has to hold about 2-3x your bodyweight. Since your body likely doesn’t know what impact is, think about running as a fun way to explore. Start as easy as possible. Limit your volume to 20-minute runs at first. Then 30. Then 40… You probably have the aerobic engine to run hard and long, but before you actually start running hard and long, you need to train your joints to handle the severe impact of running, which you never experienced in the pool. The good news here is that your joints are fresh and your muscles are strong!”
